Monday, September 29, 2014

Meet Ivy Morgan (Character Blog Hop)

Many, many thanks to Denysé Bridger for tagging me in the Character Blog Hop!

Canadian born and bred, and a lifelong
dreamer, I began writing at an early age and can’t recall a time when I wasn’t
creating in some artistic form. My life has had several on-going love affairs
that shape much of what I write, the American West, Victorian England, cowboys,
a passion for pirates, Greek Gods, and Ancient Egypt. The other endless love
affairs in my life are Italia and Romania, and all their magic, beauty, and dazzling culture.
That passion spills into all aspects of my life. A visit to my websites will show the
diversity of what is currently available, and the mixing of genres and styles
that will be employed in many current, and up-coming projects as well. To stay up
to date with all these projects, or to just say hello, please sign up for my newsletter, or follow me on social media!

The story takes place in a fictional town somewhere in the Southwest. The main focal point in the story is the Native American Reservation, which is fictional but based on the actual Pine Ridge Reservation in Henry, Nebraska. It is set in the present day.

What should we know about him/her?

Ivy is an incredibly strong woman even though she has great moments of self-doubt. Ivy is a survivor, having lived through a hell as a wife in a zealous religious cult, but she is determined to not let her past rule her life. She is always looking for adventure because it takes her one step closer to being her own woman and not her past. Ivy doesn’t trust easily but those that she does, she is fiercely loyal to. Ivy also is learning and experiencing a lot of new things that are pretty mundane for most of us like shopping, music, freedom to go to college, or just to sleep in late on a Saturday morning. Ivy’s found she loves rock/punk music and loves fashion that comes with it. It would be hard to not see her anywhere without her Goth Hello Kitty bag or her favorite Nightmare Before Christmas shirt.

What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?

Ivy was born into a religious polygamist cult. She had barely turned fifteen when she was married to one of the Cult’s Elders; who later became their leader. Ivy was punished severely for trying to leave by one of their most severe rituals. She barely survived it and it was at a hospital, where she met her best friend and savior, Lorna. Lorna helped get Ivy free of the cult and gave her a new lease on life but it hasn’t been easy. Ivy has had to basically relearn everything and it has taken a lot of therapy. Ivy has phobias of small spaces and the dark. She deals with PTSD and a lot of inner struggles. Ivy’s a survivor but she is a work in progress and she doesn’t feel bad about it because she knows the place she was at and it was a lot worse than the aftermath.

What is the personal goal of the character?

I guess Ivy’s goal can be summed up from a quote from J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, “Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you are willing to sacrifice everything else for it.” All Ivy ever had in her previous life were her dreams; there were what kept her going and gave her fuel to survive and now they give her the fuel to live.